


Suspicions

by EmScully



Category: The X files, The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, GRAY MAN is mine, Pre IWTB, Suspicious, The unremarkable house, cheating?, established MSR
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 02:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12223482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmScully/pseuds/EmScully
Summary: Anon prompt in Tumbr: Mulder is suspicious of Scully cheating.





	Suspicions

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the cliff hanger, I may or may not come back to this. Comment if you have any ideas on how to continue- I am stuck!

They sat on opposite ends of the couch. Scully was curled up on one corner cushion huddled over her now cold bowl of Mulder’s homemade tomato soup in her hands; she hadn’t taken a single bite. She only looked up to glance at the old Jeopardy episode playing on the television. Mulder sat opposite from her, leaned over the arm of the couch, his bowl of soup empty on the table next to him precariously perched on a stack of unopened mail that was months old. He only looked away from the TV to glance at Scully. They hadn’t spoken all day and yesterday wasn’t much better. Scully had fallen asleep on the couch and he hadn’t bothered to wake her when he went to bed. Sometimes it was her turn to sleep on the couch.

Scully was still in her work clothes, her black slacks and maroon silk shirt covered in grey cat hair from the stray Mulder had adopted last year. Mulder named him Gray Man. Which was ironic, given his fascination with Scully and his complete lack of interest in Mulder. Scully had protested the cat but after a few days she was hand feeding him treats and carrying him to bed. Gray Man had replaced Mulder; at least someone had. Scully was working long shifts at the hospital, which wasn’t very unusual; she was known for her strong work ethic and drive. She never left her work unfinished and when your work was curing terminally ill children, well, it was never ever finished. Her days got longer and her nights got shorter. Mulder tried to wait for her, keeping dinner in the oven until he thought his stomach would eat his backbone, but after awhile, Scully would come home smelling of takeout and cigarette smoke. So he stopped bothering to wait for her. She didn’t seem to mind.

Mulder spent his days wandering the house, writing random thoughts on scraps of paper and he recently started cooking. The problem with the cooking was that he really was not supposed to leave the house, so he had to rely on Scully for his ingredients when she went grocery shopping which was becoming less and less frequent. He had left the house 3 times in the last two weeks to buy toilet paper and groceries at the Costco in town. Then another time, he went on a beer run. Everyone had their vices, his was now craft beer and Scully, apparently, was smoking. But he didn’t know for sure, he didn’t ask. And, he really didn’t care. He would have cared, if Scully kissed him, or if she even hugged him, let alone touched him. But those small physical intimacies were long gone. He had tried to engage Scully a few months ago, he gave her all of his best moves. But she simply waved him away and said she was tired. She was always tired. So Mulder took a walk on the back of the property. He had been taking a few more night walks now.

Scully yawned and plopped her bowl and spoon on the coffee table then leaned over to pick up a sleeping Gray Man off of the floor and curled him into her lap. Mulder seethed. _My cat. My wife._ He picked at his lip. It had been over 5 months since he made love to his wife, 3 months since they cuddled or touched in any sort of affectionate way and almost a month of hardly any conversation. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Scully?”

“Hmm?” She looked across the couch at him, his cat pawing at the sleeve of her shirt.

“Can we talk?” He was suddenly nervous, his palms got clammy and his mouth went dry.

Scully’s attention was back on the cat, “what do you want to talk about?”

Mulder got up and stood in front of Scully, she looked up at him and then protested when he grabbed the cat and gently tossed him on the floor. “Hey! Mulder, what the hell?” She watched with genuine forlorn as Gray Man slinked out of the living room with an annoyed twitch of his tail.

Mulder sat next to Scully and felt her shift uncomfortably at his closeness. “That!”

“What?”

“When I sat next to you, your whole body tensed.”

“No I didn’t.”

He stared at her, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, Scully averted her eyes from his. He felt his stomach drop. “Scully…” his voice was a low whisper.

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, and then her eyes made a pass at his, and then landed on the hair on her shirt. She picked at it. “Work as been taking a lot of my time, I know that. I’m sorry.”

Mulder scoffed, “time, really? You think that is what this is about? Or is it just a façade?”

“Mulder!”

“Scully, you can’t touch me, hell, you haven’t touched me in months. You can barely look at me, let alone talk to me. That’s not work stress, that’s not your time.” He watched as her face and neck flushed a deep red and for a moment he felt a tiny bit of vindication. But the feeling slowly passed as he realized Scully didn’t have a retort; she didn’t have an argument. She knew he was right. “Are you seeing someone?”

“What?” She looked at him in horror and jumped up from the couch and stalked across the room then turned to him, arms tightly crossed in front of her chest.

Her hair swirled around her shoulder and her jaw was tight. Mulder had forgotten how sexy she was when she was mad. _Goddamnit, now it not the time!_ “Is that so surprising? Is it so surprising that I would have that fear?”

“Yes, and it is completely unjustified-“

He cut her off, “unjustified? Bullshit, Scully. You haven’t been here in months. You have checked out. Gone.”

“My work Mulder, my work takes everything out of me!”

“It has for the past 7 years, and now it’s taking its toll on you? On us?”

“No…”

“Then tell me the fucking truth!” He was yelling now and Scully flinched.

“I am not seeing anyone.”

“Okay, not seeing anyone. Fucking anyone?”

She shook her head and dropped her arms to her side in defeat. “No, there is no one, there has been no one but you.”

“I am no one, Scully.”

“Mulder, no. I am just, there is a lot going on and I just can’t focus. Work and this house, and just everything.” She stopped herself from rambling.

“I don’t believe you.”

“What?” Her eyes were wide and shown with new quivering tears.

“I do not believe you.” He turned from her and walked out of the living room and headed to his office, making an extra attempt at slamming the door behind him. His life was gone. He no longer served a purpose. His work, his family, and now Scully and that fucking cat. He had nothing. He sat heavily in his chair and closed his eyes. He decided that he really shouldn’t be surprised. He was washed up, useless and a burden to Scully. She was beautiful, and smart and had her whole live ahead of her; of course she would find someone new, probably a doctor from the hospital. He allowed himself a few minutes to picture Scully with a faceless man, his hands on her body as she melted into him. A few minutes later he heard the front door slam shut and Scully’s small SUV start up then crunch the gravel as she drove down the long driveway. _She fucking left me._ He was suddenly furious that she had the ability to leave, and he had no choice but to stay and sit in the dark and wait for her.

A few hours later, Mulder awoke, stiff in his chair to headlights shining through the window and the slam of the car door. After a few minutes of not hearing the door open, he decided to investigate. He found Scully sitting on the steps of the front porch smoking a cigarette.

“What are you doing?” He asked from the doorway.

“Smoking a cigarette.” She answered unenthusiaticslly. “But I mean, for real. What are you doing?”

“Lying to my husband.”

Mulder jerked involuntarily, “about what?”

She turned to look at him as she snubbed the cigarette out on the step and put the butt in her pocket. She let out a shuddering breath and patted the step next to her, “we have a lot to talk about.”

 


End file.
